Amazon set to replace Macy’s as largest clothing retailer in U.S.

Online retail giant Amazon is continuing to grow as is the possibility that it will soon take Macy’s spot as the largest retailer of clothing in the United States.

We reported in Oct. 2015 when Amazon announced its plans to launch its own line of fashion despite experts’ concerns that it might not do well considering Amazon typically isn’t the first place people look when shopping for clothing.

Amazon’s recent success over traditional retailers such as Macy’s, Gap and Kohl’s can be attributed to a variety of reasons, notes Market Watch. This includes a “lack of freshness and newness” in fashion trends at brick-and-mortar shops, as well as shift in preference away from traditional apparel and toward athleisure that continues to dominate the market.

Traditional retailers that have spent years building its business upon a brick-and-mortar foundation are now struggling to sell across multiple platforms and keep up with its online retailer competition. According to analysts at Stifel, “consumers visit stores less as they feel less urgency to visit the mall and instead shop and buy online,” reports Market Watch.

Amazon apparel purchasing continues to spike and analysts project that the juggernaut e-tailer is well on its way to superseding Macy’s as the number one U.S. apparel retailer by 2017.